Blaze of colour as friends’ effort to plant 2,000 bulbs springs to life

A PAIR of friends’ pre-Christmas labour has paid off in the form of about 2,000 blooming daffodils brightening up an entrance to Barnard Castle.
Bulbs were planted along a 200 metre stretch of bland stone wall at High Riggs by Alan Jenkins and Barry Parker.
Now residents and visitors entering the town along the A67 from Gainford are greeted by a sea of vivid yellow.
The idea was formulated by Mr Jenkins, who runs a carpet centre in the town.
The 74-year-old said: “We did this to make the entry to Barney a bit more colourful. We did it because people need some colour after Covid-19. I am pleased with them, hopefully they will get better each year.”
The pair bought six large bags of bulbs using their own cash and set about planting them over several afternoons in December last year.
Mr Parker, who is 72, said: “We did about an hour at a time and we did it over about six afternoons.
“There have been a few comments and I think it has been well appreciated.”
He added: “People were commenting when we were on our hands and knees putting them in.”
The pair had to set the bulbs slightly away from the wall to avoid its foundations, but still had to remove about two wheelbarrow loads of rocks and stones.
Based on the success of this year’s bloom, the friends are now considering sowing meadow and poppy seeds along the edge of the wall next year, which they hope will bloom shortly after the daffodils die back, thereby prolonging the colourful display through the spring and into the summer.